Remembering a spiritual leader

Rabbi Eugene Labovitz was known for his joy, humor and storytelling during his 40 years as the spiritual leader at Temple Ner Tamid in Miami Beach.

Labovitz, who lead the synagogue until it merged with Temple Moshe in 1998, recently died at the age of 82. He was also the president of the Greater Miami Rabbinical Association. After his synagogue merged, he moved to New York and lived with wife Annette in Woodmere on Long Island.

Family, friends and congregants remember Labovitz for his sense of humor that they feel was most evident during holiday celebrations, his gift of storytelling that led to the development of the "Legendary Maggidim," his introduction of music, dancing and the Hasidic spirit due to his friendship with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and his outreach efforts that included opening up his home to young adults for Shabbas.

"The concept of outreach is very important in Judaism," Richter said. "Today the Chabad use the greatest outreach efforts but he antedated the whole outreach movement because every Saturday morning teenagers and young adults would come to his house where he would give them a Shabbat meal and sing with them and tell them stories and inform them about the beauties of Judaism."

Labovitz's widow Annette, who traveled the world with her late husband while gathering and sharing stories as they both co-wrote several books, said of her late husband's outreach efforts, "He was an exceptional human being who brought young adults back to their roots in discovering what it truly means to live the life of a Jew."

Rabbi Solomon Schiff of Miami Beach, another good friend of Labovitz, came to Miami with him in 1958 to serve as pulpit rabbis.

"We both saw the Miami area grow by leaps and bounds," Schiff said. "Both my wife and I along with he and his wife helped advance the Jewish community in Miami and provided spiritual leadership."

Elaine Zane, a Hollywood resident who was a member of Ner Tamid, called Labovitz "a very dynamic individual with a great sense of humor."

"He was not just a spiritual leader but he was also our friend and we had this wonderful relationship with him," Zane added.

Fellow congregant Lynn Leight of Aventura considered Labovitz "someone we could relate to."

"He had knowledge, wisdom, empathy and humor," she added.

Labovitz's daughter Shiri Slomovic, who lives in New York, also enjoyed her father's humor.

"He was one of the funniest people in the world but he told sweet jokes," she said. "He had a sweet sense of humor. He had a smiling presence and a radiating joy."